Feeling chilly? Don’t go for the heater. Instead, sleep under big blankets and wear warm clothes while inside your house. You’ll leave the thermostat a little lower, and you will still be nice and cozy during the winter time.

It may seem like a costly expense, but it’s worth it in the long run. With a ceiling fan, you can keep the air circulating in your home, which will make it stay much cooler. Then you can cut down on the cost of running the air conditioning.

Laundry machines spend more energy heating the water than they do running through the cycle. Fun fact, right? As a result, washing your clothing in cold water will help you to save electricity.

You don’t always need the maximum amount of light. So why pay for it every time? Instead, use only as much as you need, and cut down on cost.

Changing your HVAC system filters regularly will help to ensure that the system is always running at its maximum potential. This way, you won’t waste money on a poorly working product. A cheaper purchase for a long term fix.

LEDs use much less electricity than incandescent light bulbs. You can save on your monthly bill by switching out your most-used lights. Replace the others with LEDs as they burn out.

There are still many parts of the world where the people use drying racks instead of machines. The process does take a little longer, but you can leave the clothes hanging overnight and save bunches on your monthly electricity bill. And the clothes are sufficiently dry by the next day!

Some electricity companies offer lower rates for energy used during non-peak times. If you have one such carrier, you can save money by doing your laundry, charging your devices, etc. Use these devices at times when most people are not using electricity.

A majority of your bill each month comes from appliances that are plugged into the wall while turned off, such as TVs and stereos. These “phantom” users still take up electricity when they are off. Plug these devices into power strips instead, and turn the strip off when you are not using it. That way the device won’t take up any electricity.

Putting up curtains to block out the sunlight will make your home much cooler. This will eliminate your need to constantly run the air conditioning in the summer. You can also plant trees, vines, or tall plants outside of your windows to add a little beauty and shade.

These bad boys insulate your home from harsh temperatures. So, they block out the sun and heat in the summer and keep out the cold in the winter. Neutral-colored curtains with a white plastic backing are said to reduce heat gain by 33 percent in the summer.

Incandescent light bulbs give off heat. So, you’ll want to get rid of them and switch to compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs as they burn out. Incandescent light bulbs are said to waste 90 percent of their energy in the heat they emit.

About 30 percent of heat comes from your windows. Closing your blinds in the summer to keep out heat can lower your energy bills by 7 percent. It can also lower the temperature inside by about 20 degrees.

You’ll want to close your doors, as well as your windows during the day. This will keep the cool air in the room where you are sitting. Leaving the doors open just leaves more space that needs to be cool which takes longer and requires more energy. You can open them back up at night when it’s cooler out.

You can place an ice pack under your pillow to keep it cooler. You can also try freezing a water bottle and placing it at the foot of your bed to keep everything cool. Another trick is to toss your sheets in the freezer before bedtime for an ultra chill sleep.

You can leave your bathroom and or kitchen exhaust fans on in the summer. They will suck out the rising hot air out of the room. This is a must when you’re cooking, showering, or doing something that gives off heat.

We all know that heat rises. If you’re looking for a good night’s rest on a night without AC you’ll have to get low. Try sleeping on the downstairs or basement couch or putting your mattress on the floor where the air is cooler.

Keeping your AC off or not having one at all will definitely cut down on your energy bill. But you can fake it. Fill a bowl with ice or an ice pack and place it in front of a fan so the cold from the ice can chill the room.

Open up your windows at night and let the cooler air in. You’ll also want to throw on your fan. You can strategically place fans placing fans to create a cross breeze and wind tunnel effect.

Open the top section of your window on the downwind side of your house. Open the bottom section of the window on the upwind side. This will create a cooling pressure current.

You can try pushing the hot air out of your home too. Place a box fan outward in one window to push the hot air out. This will help cool your room down.

There was a time when air conditioners didn’t exist and people survived just fine. Drink some iced drinks or foods, or use a cold cloth on areas like your neck and wrists to cool yourself from the inside. Also, try wearing cool colors and lighter fabrics. Or try dipping your feet in some cold water.

If you use your fans year-round they should be adjusted seasonally. Set your fan to go counter-clockwise in the summer at a higher speed. This creates a wind-chill breeze effect.

Most of us like heavy textiles like flannel or fleece on our beds in the winter. These should be switched out for lighter fabrics like cotton in the summer which breath easier and stay cooler. You might want to also invest in buckwheat pillow which allows air to flow in between the buckwheat hulls so they don’t capture body heat.

Cold wet sheets can help too. Place a cold wet sheet in front of an open window at night or on a window at the downwind side of your house. This will create a chilly breeze in your room.

Use the sunshine to help warm your home. You’ll want to make sure the blinds are up and your curtains are drawn, especially on your south-facing windows since they will allow the warmest afternoon sun to shine in. You can shut everything once the sun goes down to keep the warmth inside.

Get your furnace checked to make sure it’s running efficiently and not gobbling up unnecessary electricity or fuel. You can also consider getting a thermostat that you can program to lower the heat output when everyone is asleep or away.

Make sure your registers aren’t blocked. That way, heat can freely flow into your room and the heat flow isn’t limited. No need to turn on the heater during winter time.

You can insulate your water heater with a sleeve to prevent heat loss. It can save you about $20 a month. Use those saved $20 to treat yourself!

Even if you close the flue, heat can still escape. You can purchase an inflatable chimney balloon to block the airflow in your chimney. They cost about $50 bucks but can save you $100 per year.

Even if your attic is well-insulated, warm air can escape out of the door hatch. You can use adhesive and attach fiberglass batt to the attic side of the door to prevent this. Here’s to a cheap solution!

Windows are the number one place where your home loses heat, so you’ll want to make sure they are properly insulated. If you don’t want to drop a lot of cash on this you can cut a piece of bubble wrap and fit it inside your window frame. Spray a thin film of water on the window and place the bubble wrap on your glass. The plastic will let the sunlight in and keep the warmth inside.

Lock your windows and door. Make sure that they are tightly shut so that no cold air can get in and no hot air can get out. A simple way to keep a neutral indoor temperature.

Windows can account for up to 25 percent of the heat loss in your home. You can save about 14 percent of that by covering your windows and patio doors with inexpensive clear plastic that is easy to install. It sticks to your walls and can be easily peeled off.

Make sure you have draft stoppers on all the doors that lead outside. You can also use these on your drafty windows. You can find tutorials on 20 DIY door stoppers here.

Place some aluminum foil behind your radiators. This way, the heat is reflected back into your room instead of being sucked by the wall or whatever is behind it. Yet another handy use for aluminum foil!

If turning your fan counter-clockwise doesn’t help, try spinning in a clockwise manner. This will create a slight updraft to push the warm air toward the walls and down into the room. Most fans have a tiny switch for this.

You can turn your furnace down and use a space heater in areas where you and your family are occupying. Many of these new heaters are energy efficient. Plus, they do a really got job of warming up a room.

You can test your home for air leaks and gaps by holding some toilet paper in front of your windows door frames and other areas. If it moves, there’s a crack and you’ll need to seal it. You can use weatherstripping to fill these gaps in or use some foam insulation. There are also companies that have special equipment that can run heat loss checks for you. Check out the video below for some more tips on how to detect air leaks on your own.

Your exhaust fan sucks up warm air and allows colder air to fill the space. Exhaust fans can help you lower your electricity bill, however, also be mindful of how often you use it. For instance, you can run it when you’re taking a hot shower or need hot air removed from your space, but don’t forget to turn it off too to save energy.